The prior art reveals various types of orthodontic brackets for use as components of an orthodontic appliance. The orthodontic brackets of the prior art have channels in their surfaces, and various other means of receiving and retaining an orthodontic arch wire in relation to the orthodontic bracket. Various vectors of force are used in providing orthodontic treatment. Some of these vectors of force exerted on the teeth are: torquing, tipping, rotational, intrusive, extrusive, and facial and lingual directional forces. The orthodontic brackets of the prior art each have characteristics that are useful in providing some of these forces. None of the brackets of the prior art provide the design and configuration that can be utilized to provide precisely and efficiently all of the vectors of force mentioned above.
There are various ways used to overcome inefficiencies of particular brackets of the prior art. To overcome a lack of efficiency to produce a rotational force, the prior art reveals the use of wedges ligated in relation to the bracket, tooth, and arch wire; and orthodontic brackets with increased mesial-distal width, ligated to an orthodontic arch wire. These methods lack the efficiency and preciseness obtained in producing a rotational force by confining an orthodontic arch wire within the rectangular walls of a channel traversing an orthodontic bracket, and utilizing the elasticity of the arch wire to exert precise and efficient rotational forces along the occlusal-apical axis of a tooth. The orthodontic channel bracket of this invention provides a precise and efficient means to produce rotational forces along the occlusal-apical axis of a tooth.
The orthodontic brackets of the prior art are designed to follow very closely and continuously the surface of the tooth upon which they are placed. There are variations in the size and contour of the clinical crown of teeth in one person as compared to another person. These variations adversely affect the stability and fit of brackets that follow closely and continuously the surface of the crowns of teeth.
Adhesive materials are used to attach the orthodontic brackets to teeth. A bracket that follows the tooth surface very closely and continuously will cause the adhesive materials to be squashed upon the surface of the tooth and obscure the precise contact of the bracket with the tooth, and cause the adhesive material to flow out from between the interfacing areas of the bracket and the tooth surface.
The orthodontic brackets of this invention specifically address these problems.
The orthodontic tube brackets of the prior art are rigid in design and do not provide a means of changing the tube or tubes of the bracket, without the complete removal of the tube bracket from the surface of the tooth. This invention provides a means of changing some of the tube components used as part of an orthodontic appliance, without the removal of the tube bracket from the tooth to which it has been attached.
Various types of orthodontic arch wires are revealed in the prior art. This invention provides an orthodontic arch wire with a design and configuration to be used with the orthodontic tube bracket and the orthodontic channel brackets of the invention.
The orthodontic appliance of this invention provides improved and new components of an orthodontic appliance.